Vanguard Brawler (Race)

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Venatus Vinco
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Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Venatus Vinco »

Vanguard Brawler (Race)
“The Vanguard Brawlers are notorious as leaders of street gangs and finding work as bounty hunters, slavers, hit men, enforcers, bouncers, bodyguards and mercenaries. While they will work for most any race, they tend to congregate among their own kind, typically gathering in family clans and gangs. Brawlers are tough, streetwise thugs who use their fists, violence and intimidation to get what they want. Despite their strong arm tactics, they are cunning, resourceful, excellent strategists and good leaders (in a mafia kingpin sort of way).

The D-bee has a tough, scaly, skin and light to heavy body armor is often worn as well, particularly to protect the head, arms and legs. Two rows of sharp, hook-like spines protrude from the back and must have once served as a natural defense. The exact shape, size, and
number of spines are different on every brawler and can be used as a means of identifying individuals, who all tend to look very similar. The color of the skin is a pale blue-green with larger scales and nodules that are a lighter yellow or powder green. The nose is small and located directly between the snake-like eyes.” Coalition War Campaign, 206
  • Hard Nut to Crack: Tough, scaly, skin adds +4 armor (2)
  • Hits Like a Truck: Very Strong: Add +1 die type to strength (2)
  • Seeing Red: Can see into the infrared spectrum. Halve darkness penalties against targets that radiate heat (1)
  • A Nose for Trouble: Add +2 to scent based Notice rolls (1)
  • Somewhat Prickly: Spiny spikes protrude from the body, particular on back and hands. Unarmed damage is Strength +d6. Brawlers are never considered unarmed defenders (1)
  • Brawny: Naturally tough and powerfully built, add Toughness +1 and load limit is 8 times Strength (2)
  • Hard to Shop For: Non-Standard Physiology -1
  • Mental Block: Unable to take Arcane Background (Psionics) -1
  • Racial Profiling: Generally regarded as degenerates and criminals, Brawlers suffer -2 Charisma penalty with most ordinary folks. This increases to -6 Charisma when dealing with Coalition citizens. (-3)
  • Alpha Dog: Must humiliate opponent and always challenge the ‘leader’ (-2)
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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Freemage »

Racial Profiling, I assume, is a combo of Bad Reputation and Obvious D-Bee? If so, then it should be -6 Charisma with CS citizens (the penalties from those two stack).
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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Venatus Vinco »

Freemage wrote:Racial Profiling, I assume, is a combo of Bad Reputation and Obvious D-Bee? If so, then it should be -6 Charisma with CS citizens (the penalties from those two stack).
Yes, and yes.

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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Corrigon »

Though with their rep, maybe the charisma penalty for reputation is added to intimidation?
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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Venatus Vinco »

Corrigon wrote:Though with their rep, maybe the charisma penalty for reputation is added to intimidation?
I wish, but unfortunately I can't justify that without making it a rule across the board. What I could do is swap out the Keen Sense of Smell but it's up to the player to be intimidating I think.

This does lend itself to the Charisma issue in SR, how does everyone even stand to be around each other? Especially since it's mostly glazed over in various adventures etc. I guess one way to add grit to the setting is to really ratchet up racial tensions. I would definitely do this in a 'Burbs setting or the Warrens of MercTown.

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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Corrigon »

There is an edge or a hindrance that does it, rather as a site rule.
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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Tribe of One »

Does their natural Armor stack with worn armor? Based in other examples, like the cybernetic Armor Plating, it wouldn't. I'd kind of rather it be additional natural Toughness, so it does.

Also, makes more sense to me for them to have +2 Intimidate than +2 Notice.

And I like the Alpha Dog idea, but tracking that to Arrogant and always going for the leader seems a bit extreme. Maybe something like Stubborn + a Quirk along the lines of "Obsessed with Pecking Order"? So the VB doesn't have to be boss, but bullies those below him and might try to challenge those above until he's been beaten.
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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Venatus Vinco »

Tribe of One wrote:Does their natural Armor stack with worn armor? Based in other examples, like the cybernetic Armor Plating, it wouldn't. I'd kind of rather it be additional natural Toughness, so it does.
Natural Toughness is more expensive than armor, I think (going off memory atm). Stacking is always weird in SW, I don't understand what does or doesn't when it comes to armor.
Also, makes more sense to me for them to have +2 Intimidate than +2 Notice.
The notice tracks to their listed abilities, but I agree Intimidate seems more iconic to the race.
And I like the Alpha Dog idea, but tracking that to Arrogant and always going for the leader seems a bit extreme. Maybe something like Stubborn + a Quirk along the lines of "Obsessed with Pecking Order"? So the VB doesn't have to be boss, but bullies those below him and might try to challenge those above until he's been beaten.
I think it's close enough, but some flavour text can probably keep it a major hindrance and get what we need.

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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Freemage »

With armor, you generally get one physical type of armor, and one armor-providing field effect. So this would not stack with worn body armor or cybernetic armor plates (which also don't stack with each other). Any of those, however, will stack with a 'field' effect--which is the default for the armor powers, for instance.

The one exception is if you're inside a vehicle or robot armor suit and an attack scores a crew hit--you get both the vehicular armor and any worn armor/armor field you might possess.

So the main advantage of racial armor is that it is there as a fallback in situations where you can't wear a real suit. Alternately, you can crank it up to the +6/+8 level, where it's competitive with worn suits.

That said, yes, Toughness boosts are 1-per-point, whereas natural armor is 2-per-point.
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Re: Vanguard Brawler (Race)

Post by Tribe of One »

I'm using a slightly a different adaptation of the Vanguard Brawler for an upcoming NPC in the New West game, and thought I'd share it here. It's a 10/-8 race.

Vanguard Brawler (Race)
Vanguard Brawlers are notorious bruisers and thugs, often making their way as gang leaders, bounty hunters, mercenaries and enforcers. The name Vanguard '"Brawlers" fits these D-Bees well, as they are inclined to use their fists, violence and intimidation as the answer to all their problems. In addition to their strong-arm tactics, Vanguard Brawlers are cunning and resourceful street fighters but eschew sedentary and scholarly pursuits - almost all are illiterate.

Vanguard Brawlers have tough, scaly skin, but are not reptilian. Most augment their natural defenses with armor. The exact shape, size, appearance and number of their back spines varies; the color of the skin is a pale blue-green with larger scales and nodules that are a yellow or powder green. The nose is small and located directly between the eyes.
  • Bad Reputation: Known as violent thugs, suffer -2 Charisma with normal folks (-1)
  • Distinctive D-Bee: -4 Charisma with Coalition citizens (stacks with Bad Reputation) (-2)
  • Natural Fighter: Starts with d6 Fighting (1) and the Frenzy Edge (2)
  • No Time for Books: -1 to Smarts rolls and can't read or write (-3)
  • Powerful: Starts with d6 Strength (2)
  • Restricted Paths: No capacity for magic (-1) or psionics (-1) and can't take related Iconic Frameworks
  • Sees Red: Can see into the infrared spectrum. Halve darkness penalties against targets that radiate heat (1)
  • Thick Hide: Tough, scaly, skin adds +2 Toughness (2)
  • Violent Nature: +2 Intimidation (2)
GM Bennies: 7/7
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